To Love A Mage
by gomenasai-for-everything
Summary: Yugi, during a duel in which his soul is trapped in the Dark Magician Girl's card, becomes acquainted with the Dark Magician, and the two begin to become friends. In later encounters, this friendship evolves into something more, much to the chagrin of Gaia the Fierce Knight, and a few more of Yugi's loyal, beloved cards. Suggestions for title appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

A/N Well, hi there everyone, it appears that I'm writing for Yu-Gi-Oh now, and, as I'm sure everyone who has ever read my fics knows, I absolutely refuse to write for a popular pairing, so here you go, this is Dark Magician x Yugi, and it's going to be a chapter story, so enjoy it guys. Oh, and as for the really human way I wrote the cards, especially Gaia the Fierce Knight, I really can't help but think they're just super powerful people, and so still act human.

* * *

Yugi awoke, dizzy and disoriented, on a game board in the shadow realm, dressed in an odd dress that hung off his shoulders and holding a blue wand. The first thing he noticed, however, was that a giant version of Pegasus stood across from him, a smirk spread across his face, and his Millennium Eye glinting brightly. He stepped backwards fearfully, wondering what sort of nightmare this was, and tripped over his feet, stumbling to the ground. A voice sounded beside him, one that was almost familiar, and he looked over to see the face of the Dark Magician.

"Yugi, be careful. Your soul has been placed into the card of my apprentice, and we have been brought to the Shadow Realm." Yugi, for a moment, appeared shocked, until a voice behind him confirmed the words.

"He's right Yugi, be on your guard and I'll tell you what to do. You've got all the powers of the Dark Magician Girl, so you should be fine. It's just like before, when we were brought here by Bakura," Yami stated, his voice as calm as always, and Yugi settled down before scrambling to his feet and moving to stand by his favorite card. The height difference between them, however, made him shift carefully. He'd liked it much more when he'd been the Dark Magician himself.

"Oh dear, are we going to duel or chat?" Pegasus sighed, laying down a card of his own to combat the recently called Yugi, and the sight of it made the young boy quake. It was Toon World, and already on the field was Dark Rabbit, who immediately took his place inside. Beside him, however, the Dark Magician stood tall, and behind him Yami only smirked.

"Is that really all you can do? Hide away your toons?" Pegasus laughed in response.

"It seems a good strategy to me. My, little Yugi would look very nice as a toon, don't you think? I do hope I win him!"

"What?" Yugi cried, turning to face Yami.

"Your soul is at stake in this duel, along with mine. He will win your soul card and the Millennium Puzzle if he is successful in this duel," spoke the taller boy, his voice dark and his eyes turned away.

"Why would you bet that?" Yugi screeched, but this time Yami ignored him and called them both to go into defense mode, which Yugi was forced to do despite his displeasure. Pegasus laughed, and ordered his Dark Rabbit to leap from his book and attack Yugi, which it did. The boy crouched fearfully, his eyes clenched closed, but no pain came. Instead, the field in front of him was coated in a bright flash of light as the Dark Magician leaped in front of the boy and sacrificed himself.

"Damn it," Yami cursed, having known his plan required the card's assistance, and Pegasus laughed raucously as he called his rabbit back to the book.

"It seems the loyalty of the cards to Yugi boy has become your downfall! Ah well, I suppose your plan was ruined, hm? Do you want to give up? You've already used Monster Reborn."

"No," Yami hissed, looking woefully at his already low life-points, and drew a card that made him snarl. Pegasus smirked, and once more the Dark Rabbit was let loose, though this time it attacked Yugi without anything to block it, and after one small, sharp blast of pain Yugi was sent to the Card Graveyard.

* * *

The darkness around Yugi made him shudder, and he wondered vaguely when the Card Reaper would come for him, and whether the Dark Magician had already been snatched up. He walked slowly, his sandals sinking into the mud and dirtying his feet. About five minutes passed before he crossed paths with his favorite card, who was sitting on a weathered stone bench.

"It seems my sacrifice was for nothing, then," the wizard said with a small smile, looking up at the boy.

"Sorry… why hasn't the Card Reaper come yet?"

"He is in Pegasus' deck, Yugi. He is only a card himself, you understand, so it isn't as though he can always be everywhere."

"So we're safe then?"

"For now, though in some ways it's a bit annoying. It's always dull here, I usually prefer the reaper, though I suppose, for your sake, it's a good thing he isn't here."

"You usually prefer him?" Yugi asked, taking a seat beside the Magician, who shifted over slightly.

"Yes, of course. I always return after being taken by the reaper, since I'm but a card. I die and am regenerated countless times. You, however, are a real soul, and would therefore be unable to return if taken by the reaper, and I cannot defend you from that as I can any other sort of attack." Yugi hummed, looking up at the expanse of black sky.

"So why did you defend me anyway? Yami didn't tell you to, and you knew I'd be fine since the reaper was in Pegasus' hand." The magician glared at him sharply.

"Don't speak to me as though I am subservient to _him. _You, Yugi, are my Master, and therefore the only one I will listen to. I will not allow you to be harmed, if I can prevent it. None of your cards would, we all care for you too much." Yugi flinched at the sharpness of his tone, and quickly changed the subject with a smile.

"Sorry, Dark Magician, I didn't mean to offend you. Anyway, how long do you think we'll be here?" The mage returned the smile, appearing apologetic for the way he'd spoken, and shrugged slightly as he softened his face.

"We will be released upon the duel's end, but it could be days. Time here is much slower than in the real world, which is why I usually dislike it when the reaper doesn't come. I'm afraid an hour here is often no more than a second in the real world, and since they're battling in the Shadow Realm, where time is more sluggish than anywhere else, it could be even longer." Yugi sighed and leaned his head back against the stone bench, feeling the cool metal of the Dark Magician Girl's necklace pinch his skin lightly. Deep gray clouds passed slowly overhead, and he watched them as the card beside him twirled his staff in his hands. He closed his eyes, feeling the layers of mud drying on his feet, and hoped to leave the dismal place soon, though he recognized that it could all be for nothing anyway, if Yami lost the duel.

"Are you wondering at the bet your Yami made, Yugi?" the magician spoke suddenly, now looking up at the sky as well.

"Kind of."

"Don't be angry with him, Yugi, he felt what he did was best. If he wins he will gain the Millennium Eye, and Pegasus will lose his ability to trap souls."

"Then why is my soul at stake too? Why not just bet the Puzzle?"

"Pegasus refused the duel without that condition. Who knows what his purpose is," the magician sighed, before getting to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Yugi squeaked, not wanting to be left alone, and the purple-clothed man smiled.

"I'd like to walk for a bit, it's very difficult for me to simply sit there. Come along with me if you like, Yugi, the company will be nice." Yugi scrambled to his feet immediately and went to stand by the tall man as he began to wander off. They'd walked aimlessly for about half an hour when the sky split open and rain began to pour, coating the ground in a new, thicker layer of mud that sucked Yugi down into the ground to his ankles. The magician laughed, and lifted him up by his middle.

"What are you doing?" Yugi squeaked, and the mage kept his smile.

"You are unable to walk well in this mud, correct? I'll carry you to one of the homes around here."

"Homes?" The magician nodded.

"Yes, there are many houses here, for the cards to wait in, or for the reaper to rest. I'm sure there's one close by," he stated, hugging Yugi's body close to his chest and trudging through the thick mud easily even as the rain fell and soaked his clothes, along with the parts of his face and hair not protected by the hat he wore. Finally they came across a small brick building with lights shining from the windows.

"I think this one's already occupied," Yugi stated, his legs swaying with the magician's steps.

"Perhaps, or perhaps a fire was left. It matters little, even if the home is occupied we may intrude, it is a law that each card must offer refuge to the others during rain." Yugi hummed again, and coughed quietly as the Dark Magician opened the door to the home and walked them inside. He put Yugi onto the ground and revealed that yes, the home was indeed occupied by someone, Gaia the Fierce Knight, who the Dark Magician knew had been defeated earlier in the match. The horseman sighed, though he did move over on the small couch and allow enough space for all three of them to sit.

"Welcome, Mage, I see you've been defeated as well, along with your poor little apprentice," he stated, his helmet impeding his sight and causing him to mistake Yugi for the Dark Magician Girl.

"This is not my apprentice, Gaia; this is our Master, Yugi. His soul was placed into her card by Pegasus. Remove your helmet, stupid warrior, and perhaps you could see to fight," the Dark Magician laughed, while the knight snarled loudly.

"Be silent, Mage. You being the Master's favorite does not give you the right to belittle me, or my intelligence. Master would not ever wear your apprentice's clothing, and besides, Master is dueling," the knight hissed, a dull jealousy tingeing his voice.

"That person dueling is not Master, it is the other soul that dwells within him, the one called Yami. Master Yugi, inform him of your identity so that we may sit in peace." Yugi smiled from his place between the arguing cards.

"I am Yugi, Gaia. My soul really did get put in the Dark Magician Girl's card, that's why I'm wearing her clothes. I don't really have much choice in it," the boy laughed softly, and squirmed around on the couch, attempting to get comfortable since he now knew he'd likely be there for a while. The knight gasped softly and slid from the couch, immediately dropping to his knees in front of the boy.

"Master, I am sorry! I didn't realize," he stated, staring at the ground. Yugi cocked his head confusedly, not sure why the knight was taking something so simple so seriously.

"It's okay, Yami and I do look a lot alike. Even my friends didn't realize that we weren't the same person at first. Besides, you really can't see very well through that thing, right? I'm sure I do look a little like Dark Magician Girl through your helmet. Come on, sit back down, we're all going to be here for a while, so we may as well be comfortable!" The boy grinned, patting the seat beside him that had been vacated. Gaia sighed in relief and returned to his position, and the Dark Magician rolled his eyes before pulling his hat from his head and placing it on the table in front of them.

"Thank you, Master! You are truly very forgiving, to pardon me after I mistook another for you and you for a woman." The Dark Magician laughed.

"Yes, yes, Yugi is benevolent in all that he does, Gaia, and it's rather amazing that we've such a good Master, but I don't think informing him of that will automatically grant you my place." The knight glared sharply at the wizard, though he knew it would have no effect since his eyes were covered, and clenched his fists as the magician continued to snicker. Yugi merely looked confused, and glanced at both of them.

"You guys shouldn't fight, you're on the same team," the boy said with a small smile, taking off his own hat along with his mud-covered sandals. The action drew the knight's eyes, and suddenly he recognized what was like the reason the magician had brought their Master to the house: he was soaked!

"Wizard, why have you allowed him to remain in this state? He is human, if he remains wet like this, he'll grow ill!" the knight suddenly yelled. Yugi blinked twice, and wondered why he'd been so totally ignored in his attempt to get the two to stop fighting.

"And what is it that I'm supposed to do? I've no other clothes for him, and I'm quite sure you'd rather I not strip him."

"You're a magician, can't you dry the ones he's in?" the knight taunted, crossing his arms. The mage glared.

"I am a _dark _magician Gaia and so I can perform _dark _magic, not a spell for drying clothes. And what of you, can't you control wind?"

"Wind would only make him colder, you low rate street performer!" The magic man snarled, and Yugi once more attempted to intervene.

"Calm down guys, I'm not cold, I promise. The fire is keeping me warm, and it's drying my clothes pretty fast too," he said with a grin, and finally the two began to settle down, if only slightly. Outside, it seemed a storm was building, and wind hissed and pounded at the window. Lightning flashed, and seconds after thunder shook the home's foundation, and Yugi winced. He never had liked storms that much, and the Dark Magician was quick to notice his discomfort.

"What's the matter, Yugi?" he asked quietly, his blue-violet eyes staring down at the boy compassionately.

"I don't really like storms too much," the boy said softly, staring out the window as the sky once again lit up with lightning. The magician nodded, very glad he'd gotten his small Master inside before it became as bad as it currently was out there. He wondered if it was any indication to how the duel was going, but shook his head. It always rained in the graveyard, and even if it didn't, there had to be thousands of duels going on right that very second. He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts and held out his arms, planning to allow the small boy to bury his face in his robe and block out the noise of the storm, but the spiky haired boy had already been taken into the dark arms of the knight on his other side. The man glared, crossing his arms and scoffing.

"Yes, that seems clever, allow the boy who's scared of storms to cuddle someone covered in metal," he laughed softly, and the knight could feel the boy tense in his arms as the words sunk in, and he let him go, tugging the helmet from his head and glaring sharply at the man, his bright green eyes standing out sharply against his flesh. The magician only smirked, despite the fact that the look promised that as soon as Yugi was gone he'd hear just exactly what the knight thought of him making their Master fear being near him. "Perhaps you'd be better off finding the tub here and filling it with hot water, yes? That'll likely calm Yugi down along with warming him. You were worried about him growing ill, weren't you?" The knight continued to glare, but stood none the less and came back about twenty minutes later with a steaming tub of water and a towel, barely resisting a snarl as he saw the boy's face buried into the mage's chest.

Damned bastard, holding their Master like that! Simply because he was the rare, valuable favorite! He was a knight, so obviously that should've meant he was the defender, the protector! So what if he wasn't quite so rare, and his attacks were a little weaker? He would be the far better choice for guarding Master, especially since he was more versatile, and could be used in many different ways! All that that glorified illusionist could do was blast out dark magic! He looked away from the two as a clap of thunder, louder than all the previous ones, made the small, innocent boy wince and whimper.

"Poor Yugi, come now. Let's get you in the bath, it'll warm you up and take your mind off the storm, as well as the duel." The boy nodded slightly and looked up, revealing the tears that had begun to fill his wide eyes, and the Dark Magician wiped them easily. "Silly Master, don't cry. Everything will be fine, I'm sure we'll get to leave soon, alright? And I'm most certainly sure that Yami will win. Come on, let's get these wet clothes off you, and since you won't get the chill too, Gaia can dry them while you're bathing." Yugi nodded and began to tug the dress off, sighing as the still soaked fabric clung to his flesh.

The mage barely resisted a groan. His Master was truly too trusting, stripping like that in a room with two larger, vastly stronger males. He hoped he wouldn't do such a thing around another, someone more dangerous, like that Kaiba boy… or his friend Joey… or even his dark double Yami, actually. Really anyone, if he was being totally honest. He sent a sharp look towards the knight, who was respectfully looking away, and nodded approvingly before helping his little Master remove the dress and step into the bath.

"What about you? You're wet too," the boy said, relaxing easily into the warm water and sighing in pleasure as he began to rub his feet and ankles in order to remove the crust of mud. "Thank you for drawing this by the way, Gaia," he stated, directing a smile towards the knight as the toasty water did indeed make him begin to forget about the storm rampaging angrily outside. Once more the groan made its way up into the Dark Magician's throat, and the man looked away from his spiky haired Master, who was now lifting water into his hands and pouring it over his hair in an attempt to remove some of the dust and sweat that had matted it. _Bathing _with his Master? He would never, he didn't have the right! But the boy was offering, obviously he didn't mind, spoke some other, irrational part of his mind, and the man winced. Stupid thought, stupid thought!

"No, no, I'm fine. I'm a card, remember Yugi? I can't get sick, so it doesn't matter if my clothes are wet. Just enjoy your bath, okay? Perhaps the duel will be over soon." A little bit of annoyance at the suddenly stubborn attitude of his card had made its way into Yugi's eyes, but the boy only shrugged and continued attempting to clean his hair. Finally the magician sighed and moved over to the tub, though he could feel the knight's glare burrowing into his back. "Let me, Yugi," the card said, moving the boy's hands from his tri-colored hair and dipping his own into the water, though it felt nearly scalding to his flesh. Once he felt they were sufficiently soaked, he moved them back up to the boy's head and began to scrub at it, looking away as a soft, pleased sound issued from the boy's mouth.

The knight glared and crossed his arms. What gave that cocky mage the right to do this? Touching their Master so intimately, it was the greatest of disrespects! He was their ruler, he decided their fate! What right did either of them have to… to wash his hair? It was almost enough to have the knight, whose entire mind was made up of complex moral codes and intense loyalty to those above him, collapsing to the ground in a dead faint.

"Haven't we got any soap, knight?"

"No, we don't mage. I looked throughout this home and found none." The purple haired man sighed.

"Ah well, I suppose. I fear this will have to do until you return home, Master. Would you like to get out?" Yugi nodded, and the Dark Magician stood, holding out his hand to lift the boy out as once more the knight averted his eyes. This time, the magician had no such decency, and couldn't help but glance at his Master's small body, flushed slightly pink from the water's heat. "Dry his clothing please, Gaia," the man said, clutching his robes with the hand not wrapped in Yugi's to prevent its wandering to unwelcome places. Gaia nodded and sent a gust of wind towards them, drying them in seconds as the wizard lifted the towel from where it had been placed on the couch and began to carefully pat the boy dry.

"I can do this myself," he said, sighing at the gentle swipes of the towel over his arms, across his chest, down his legs, and around to his back.

"It's alright, Yugi. It's my duty to do all I can for you, yes? Don't worry yourself over such a simple task," the mage said, his voice oddly conversational even during such a close moment.

"That's right, Yugi. We're your cards. We'd do anything you asked of us, though I don't believe your magician should be touching you in such a way," the knight said, bending to lift the clothes and bringing them back over to the small boy as the mage began to dry his hair.

"Oh hush, it's not as though you wouldn't do the same. It's a simple action, nothing behind it," the purple dressed man stated, though his eyes stayed fixed to the ground, and the knight wanted to call him out, though he supposed it would be best to wait until their young Master wasn't beside them. He got his chance to speak freely, however, far sooner than he expected, for Yugi suddenly disappeared in a flash of light, and reappeared back on the game board, still nude except for the towel on his head.

Pegasus looked at him, and blinked a few times, his cards poised loosely enough in his hand that they nearly fell, before he began to laugh noisily.

"Oh, I really must win now!" he snickered, and Yugi quickly pulled the towel from his hair and wrapped it around his waist. From his place behind him, Yami's cards nearly tumbled as well as he stared, slack-jawed, at his small host.

"Yugi, what the hell happened?" he hissed, and the boy flushed.

"It was raining, and I got scared, so Dark Magician and Gaia made a bath for me to calm me down," the boy mumbled, looking down at the card he was standing on. "How did you call me back anyway?" Yami mumbled something not quite complementary about having a host who was scared of the rain and took his clothes off for two grown men, before speaking up to answer the boy's question.

"I called Monster Reborn back from the graveyard, now hush; I've come up with a new strategy. Go into attack mode," he ordered, and Yugi did as he was told, looking up at Toon World, which still hung imposingly in the air. Pegasus smirked.

"Silly boy! You can't beat me with him, unless of course his towel falls off. Perhaps then I'll accidentally drop my cards, though it may give me even more of an incentive to win! He'll be such fun when I have him in my deck!" Yami snarled and called another monster, though Pegasus still only laughed and waited for the boy across from him to finish his turn.

* * *

Within the card graveyard, Gaia and the Dark Magician sat, both in shock, for a few moments until suddenly the magician cursed low in his throat.

"Why did he call him instead of me, stupid Yami… he must've come up with a new strategy," he hissed, and Gaia stared forward, almost fearful.

"Will he be alright?"

"Of course. If he's killed, he'll just come right back here, it's nothing to worry over. I just fear the reactions to his current state of undress."

"You mean Pegasus?" the knight asked, and the mage nodded, vaguely confused at the civility that filled the room, since he was used to an almost constant battle with the other card, who made his desire for his position as favorite rather obvious, and difficult to ignore.

"Indeed. I don't much like the man, nor his desire to take Yugi's card, though I suppose he could simply want the power that comes from possessing another's soul."

"That seems more likely to me," the knight stated, looking out the window worriedly, as though that would immediately call the boy back from the game board. The mage laughed, unusually loudly, for he was amused by the knight's naivety.

"Are you sure? You may be noble, Gaia, but I've seen you looking at Master before. You can't try to tell me that you don't find him attractive," the mage stated, looking uncaringly at the wall across from him. The knight's eyes narrowed in righteous indignation at his glances being described in such a lewd way, and he crossed his thick arms heavily, nearly snarling when he spoke. The Dark Magician could almost feel the calm, peaceful atmosphere shatter and the civility run for the hills.

"You speak to me about such things, and yet you were the one touching him so intimately not minutes earlier! I've never once thought of our Master in such a way, but you… you were once human! I'm sure you've had such indecent thoughts!" The magician only smirked in response, gaining a strange peace from the familiar arguing.

"You're far too righteous, master Gaia. Whilst I do find Master to be lovely, my love for him is totally innocent, and unless he asked it of me I would never invade his body in such a way. I merely worry that Pegasus would not have such decency."

"Your words imply that you would do such things to him if he offered though, don't they?" the knight asked, his arms still stiffly crossed.

"And you wouldn't? I thought you were the ever obedient knight? How could you possibly deny our Master a simple request like that?" The knight found himself unable to speak after that, and for two hours they sat in silence, until suddenly the same light that had surrounded Yugi surrounded them and they found themselves once more in their cards. The duel had ended, and they both quickly realized from the happy look on Yami's face that he'd won. They each smiled as they heard the other half of their Master's soul speak.

"Alright Pegasus, I've won; now release Yugi from that card and take us out of the shadow realm." Pegasus glared, his golden eye glinting, and with a wave of his hand Yugi was once again full-sized, though still nude except for the towel. The white haired man's eyes lingered on the boy, and a smirk covered his face even as he expelled them from the shadow realm and Yugi's soul merged back with Yami's. They appeared in Yugi's room safe and sound, and all in all, the situation seemed to have resolved itself rather nicely, though Gaia was still rather angry with the Dark Magician.

A few weeks passed without much occurring, and Yugi had long put his time in the card graveyard in the back of his mind, but one day it was brought to the forefront once again, though in a much unexpected way.

* * *

A/N Well, that's all for now, folks! Hope you enjoyed this first chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N It is time… for the new chapter! I know it's been a long time coming, and I'm quite sure those of you who wanted it earlier are totally pissed at me, but please enjoy! I hope this chapter makes up for me being so lazy in updating.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

It all started with little more than a friendly duel with Joey. They were sitting in class together at lunch, since neither of them had been very hungry that day, and had thought it would be fun to pass the time with a duel. That's how it had started, too, just a duel between friends, but suddenly Yami had begun to fret about something, whispering so softly Yugi couldn't even hear him, and then his other half had taken control and he was relegated to his Soul Room, and Yami had, for some reason, blocked him from his thoughts and senses. A bit worried for his other half, and what he might end of doing in some compromised state, Yugi left his own bright, childish Soul Room and went into Yami's far darker, labyrinthine one.

The door was unlocked, strange as that was, and when he entered he yelled out softly, hoping to gain the attention of… he didn't know who, really. As far as he knew, the only one that stayed in there was Yami himself, and obviously there was no chance of him coming out. Strangely though, he heard a shuffling sound from the back of the dark entrance hall, and then there was suddenly a tall, purple robed being before him.

"Dark Magician?" Yugi asked confusedly, his head cocked and his hair flopping to one side. The mage smiled.

"Hello, master. I assume you're surprised to see me?" he asked, an enigmatic smile on his pale lips.

"Sort of. Isn't Yami the only one here?" The magician shook his head.

"No, all of your cards live here as well. I'm simply the only one allowed to wander in this region, which has been deemed as Yami's," he said, waving his hand lightly. "Would you like to go sit somewhere? Your Yami was acting a bit strangely, and so I don't think he'll be done with your body for a while." Yugi sighed, but nodded, wondering what in the world had gotten into his other half as his favorite card led him easily through the looping passageways of Yami's Soul Room and into a large, pretty space with pillows scattered on the floor. Celtic Guardian slept in one corner, and Yugi couldn't help but smile when he saw him there, his pale, elfish body oddly defenseless without the armor and helmet. He didn't notice his Dark Magician's sneer towards the blonde man, or the small smile on the guardian's face.

"Can I sit anywhere?" Yugi asked softly, not wanting to awaken the guardian, but the blonde haired card laughed softly.

"I'm not sleeping, Yugi, you can speak as loudly as you like. Come, sit by me," he said, his eyes flickering open as he sat up carefully. The Dark Magician glared. The blonde man was his biggest competition for being master's favorite, the greatest threat to his coveted position, and he hated the other card with a passion as Yugi walked over and sat easily beside him. The mage followed quickly, and took the seat on his other side. "Have you been well, Yugi? You haven't… played with me in ages," he said, his eyes flickering over to the Dark Magician's as the innuendo slipped passed his lips, unnoticed by Yugi himself. The magician glared. Damned dirty elf. Disgusting, filthy creature, unworthy of his master's care. At least Gaia was respectful, didn't let such secretly dirty things slip through his lips, not like this heathen! He crossed his arms tightly.

"He has not been dueling very much, since Yami's recent defeat of Pegasus and his winning of the Millennium Eye. The duel he was having with Joey was his first since then, though Yami took it over a few moments ago."

"I believe I asked Yugi, mage," the elf said, a small smirk curling his lips, and the Dark Magician continued to glare.

"It's alright, Guardian. It isn't like Dark Magician lied; I haven't had much time to duel. I've had tons of school work, and… a few guys have been bullying me a little more than usual," he said, twining his fingers tightly around each other. The dark mage narrowed his eyes.

"And you haven't informed Yami? You know he would… take care of that for you," he said, his hand coiling loosely around Yugi's arm.

"Indeed. You could even tell some of your other friends. Joey and Tristan would certainly help, as would that Bakura boy, or Malik. Even I would assist you, if you wished it of me," the guardian said, his mouth far, far too close to Yugi's ear for the magician's liking. He wondered vaguely if there was some other way for that to be interpreted, since the elf never seemed to say anything to their innocent master that wasn't a double entendre.

"No, Yami and the others are too violent… I don't want them to hurt someone else for me, and I wouldn't want you to either. Hurting people… that isn't how things should be accomplished, and besides it's… it's really embarrassing, what they're doing." The blush on the boy's face had the Dark Magician's mind wandering, and he couldn't imagine the filthy reaches the Celtic Guardian's had dived into.

"I wouldn't hurt them, Yugi, not unless you asked me to, but there are other ways to get rid of annoyances like them."

"Really?" Yugi questioned, disbelief tingeing his voice, and the blonde elf nodded.

"Most certainly. Tomorrow, after your classes, I'll wait for you by the gates and you can take me to them, alright? You'll have to be quick, though, holding a physical form without the aid of a duel can be difficult, and I can't do it for long." Yugi nodded rapidly.

"Thank you! Can… can you come too, Dark Magician? I'd feel better if both of you were there," Yugi smiled sweetly, and the mage nodded.

"Of course, master. Would you mind telling me what it is that these bullies have been doing? I'd like to know what I'm defending you from." Yugi blushed again, bright pink, and the purple haired mage gave a sharp look to the Celtic Guardian for the lecherous stare that had placed itself on his face.

"They call me a girl, a lot, and make jokes like they make with Tea. I know I'm short, but it's really, really embarrassing, and I don't look _that _much like a girl!" Both of his cards clenched their fists tightly. Doing such things to _their _Yugi, _their _beloved master, they almost wanted to hurt the boys, despite Yugi's wish for them to avoid such a route.

"Have they touched you, Yugi?" Dark asked, and Yugi cocked his head.

"Touched me how?" he asked, and the Celtic Guardian sighed. For once, the magician wanted to follow his lead, because really, master was simply too innocent sometimes.

"In a way that made you uncomfortable, or was inappropriate," the mage clarified, and Yugi shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. They've shoved me into walls a couple of times, but a lot of people have done that." The Dark Magician could see the guardian longing to say something, likely similar to what the mage himself wanted to say, something along the lines of that being horribly inappropriate, and dangerous, and that he should really tell them or Yami or his friends immediately when something like that happened, but they both held their tongues.

"Well, other than that, have you been having a good week?" the elfish man asked, and Yugi nodded with a bright grin as he curled into the pillows. He didn't even notice the guardian's arm slip around his shoulders, but the Dark Magician did, and he glared sharply.

"Definitely! Joey, Tristan, Tea and I went to the carnival together! It was really fun, even though Tea and Tristan went off together after the first few rides. Now that they're dating, they hardly ever want to hang out with me and Joey, but Joey snuck me onto the roller coaster, even though they said I was too short to ride," the boy grinned, and Celtic Guardian nodded distantly, obviously not paying attention. The Dark Magician surreptitiously swatted him, because even if he didn't like him, or trust him to be near their master, he didn't want the tri-color haired boy to be upset at being ignored.

"That sounds like fun. Did you do anything else?" the mage asked politely, and Yugi nodded, not noticing his body being tugged carefully closer to the guardian's side.

"Tons of stuff! Joey won me a new game, and a bear. It's really cute!" Fingers trailed up and down his arm, and breath fluttered against his ear. Dark pulled him away from him, and instead placed him against his own body. Yugi blinked twice, owlishly, unsure of what had happened. "Dark Magician?"

"Yes?" he asked softly, glaring at the elfish guardian.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, master. I just think Celtic Guardian would like us to leave. He appears to be getting tired," the wizard stated, tugging the boy to his feet and fleeing the room with him before the blonde even had a chance to speak.

* * *

Yugi was panting by the time the Dark Magician stopped pulling them along, but for once the purple mage didn't bother to think of his dearest master's wellbeing, instead focusing almost totally on the angry emotions swirling through him. He almost wished to be called to duel, then. He'd certainly be able to blast any opponent off the field at that moment, especially if they were blonde, with pointed ears.

"Dark… Magician, that was… really… rude," Yugi gasped, holding his sides tightly, but the Dark Magician only smirked and pulled him against him, his fingers trailing a teasing path down the center of his spine.

"I'm sorry, Master. I don't get along well with the Celtic Guardian." Yugi sighed softly, though a smile tugged at his mouth. His card was indeed very adorable, on occasion, and it was difficult for him to be angry at him for anything.

"Do you get along with anyone? Gaia bothered you too, when we were in the Card Graveyard." The magician continued to smirk.

"I like Kuriboh, and my apprentice is usually quite tolerable." Yugi smiled.

"You're really weird sometimes. I'm going to see if I can contact Yami now. It's been plenty of time, so he should definitely be done dueling with Joey by now." The wizard nodded, although his smirk had faded to be replaced by a frown as his little Master pulled away from him in order to focus on opening the link between himself and his darker half. A few minutes passed by, and suddenly the one who stood before him wasn't his dear master, but a slightly taller version of him, with lightning streaks in his hair and narrow eyes.

"Are you happy now, mage? I was scolded because of this," he said, an uncharacteristic pout on his lips. The magician smirked.

"Not really, no. I asked you to leave for at least an hour, and to call all of the cards that could cause issue. Celtic Guardian was still here, Yami," the Dark Magician said, his arms crossed across his broad chest. Yami laughed.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry that I didn't take over my _host _long enough to allow you to take advantage of him. It's not exactly easy to control his body, you know." The mage looked away, suddenly embarrassed.

"I couldn't really help myself, you know. I've always cared for him, but the time we spent together in the graveyard… it's more, now. I was so jealous, and I've never… I've never felt that way before, not even when I was human." Yami smiled.

"I understand, Mahado, I do. In all the years we've spent together, you've not once acted selfishly. I can take a scolding if it means you get to be happy. Although, the fact that it's Yugi who will make you happy is a bit uncomfortable, especially considering we share a body." The magician smiled, feeling as he had countless ages before, in the palace.

"Hush, Atem. Yugi is a very sweet, very pretty boy. I care for him deeply, and would protect him with my life. Really, it would've been wonderful if he'd been the pharaoh instead of you. He's far less of a brat." Atem laughed.

"I hope you know that, just because of what you just said, I'm going to take Yugi's body over the first time you have sex and tell you that Seto's dick is bigger."

"And then I would wonder, Atem, how it was that you came about such knowledge of Seto's penis." Yami blushed and wandered off to the sound of the Dark Magician's laugh.

* * *

The next afternoon, as promised, the dark mage wandered through Yami's Soul Room until he came across the Celtic Guardian in one of the labyrinth's many rooms.

"Are you coming, guardian, or shall I take care of Yugi's problem on my own?" he spoke languidly, his arms crossed loosely and his eyebrow cocked. The guardian glared.

"You couldn't even do it by yourself. Your human form is too weak," he smirked, and the mage glared.

"I can still cast magic in my human form, damned elf, now come on. I would like to deal with those boys so they don't bother Master anymore. I would hate to think of them doing something to him." The Celtic Guardian sighed and nodded as the mage mentioned their one common ground: a desire to protect the small, spiky haired boy. They walked into the entrance of the Soul Room together, Celtic Guardian allowed only by Dark Magician's discretion, and it was together that they walked out of the Soul Room and became suddenly solid and real. They both smirked slightly, feeling the soft cotton and rough denim of modern clothing, and walked from Yugi's home, where the Millennium Puzzle had been left at their request, to the boy's school, where they found him standing by the gates.

"Hey guys!" he said with a bright grin and a wave, his uniform jacket hanging loosely over his frame as it always did. Dark Magician smiled softly, brushing his shiny violet hair behind his ear and enjoying how cute the little boy's one act of rebellion made him. The only thing that could've made the moment better was if the bastard beside him wasn't there.

"Hello, master," the purple haired mage said, and the Celtic Guardian nodded in greeting to the boy. Yugi smiled.

"Just call me Yugi while you're here, okay? It's weird to say stuff like that," the boy said, and Dark Magician quirked a brow but nodded nonetheless. He supposed things truly had changed, when it was no longer acceptable to call one's master, master, but who was he to complain? He'd not taken a human form since ancient times, so it was only natural to assume that things were different. The wardrobe, for one, was particularly annoying, despite how comfortable his master and Yami made it look. "Anyway, come on! Those guys will be behind the school." The boy took off running before he'd even finished talking, and the two cards followed quickly after him, their long legs allowing them to catch up to him easily. Yugi led them around to the back of the school, and, as promised, a group of three boys stood there chatting. As soon as Yugi appeared, one of them, who Yugi's cards assumed was the ring-leader, spoke.

"Hey hey, it's little Yugi-girl! Finally come to visit us like we asked? The offer didn't extend to any friends of yours, though. We wanted to have _fun _with you all by ourselves. Who are those assholes anyway? They don't go here." Dark Magician and Celtic Guardian, who both understood the meaning behind his words, put their hands protectively on Yugi's shoulders and glared.

"I would suggest that you cease speaking in such a way to him," Dark Magician snarled, his eyes narrowing and flashing with bright violet fire. The boys only laughed.

"What, you his boyfriend or something? Jesus, fuck off and have fun with the blonde guy there or something. We can take good care of little Yugi," the ring leader said, a lecherous smirk pressed onto his face, and Celtic Guardian and Dark Magician growled simultaneously. Neither of them was sure if they were more offended by the idea of those boys touching Yugi or the thought of touching each other, but either way, those damned brats needed to pay. Celtic Guardian stepped forward first, making sure the thick muscle of his arm shifted noticeably. He barely bit back a snicker when the two behind the leader stepped even further back.

"You want to suggest me touching that purple bastard again, now that I'm up here?" he hissed quietly, too quietly for anyone behind him to hear. The leader laughed.

"You don't scare me, pussy. Big muscles don't mean shit if you can't use them, and I don't think you will. You want to screw pretty Yugi too, right? He hates hitting." Celtic Guardian struck out, his fist crunching against the boy's jaw, and Yugi gasped.

"Guardian! I asked you not to hurt them!" he yelled, but the golden haired card knocked the boy to the ground nonetheless, continuing to strike his already bloody face. The other two boys had fled after the first punch. "Stop him, Dark Magician!" Yugi screamed, and the mage rushed forward without a second thought, tugging the other card off the boy, who quickly crawled off.

"Stop it, damned elf. Yugi is getting upset, and who knows what he'll do to you if you harm me. He may even remove you from the deck," he hissed into the pointed ear of the elfish man. The blonde stilled in his arms almost immediately.

"I… I'm sorry, master Yugi," the guardian said, his head down, and Dark released him. Yugi sighed.

"It's okay, I guess, but I thought… I didn't think you would do something like that! You're a lot stronger than him, you could've hurt him! I've told Yami this before, so you should've heard too! When you guys hurt them to protect me, you're no better than them! A bully is a bully, no matter the reason!" the boy cried, his eyes blazing brightly, and Dark Magician turned his head to hide a smirk. Oh, this was wonderful! He was glad the Celtic Guardian had come along now!

"I'm sorry, Yugi! I couldn't take it, what they were saying about you!" the blonde man cried, breaking free from the Dark Magician's arms to slink his way over to Yugi, his head down and his arms wide. Yugi sighed, a soft, long-suffering smile on his face as he too spread his arms wide and met the other halfway in a hug.

"It's alright, I do understand. Just… don't do it again, okay? If what they say doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother you." The Celtic Guardian nodded, and turned to look at the mage with a smirk. The purple haired man glared, but didn't speak as he walked over to the pair.

"Come along, master. I can feel this form weakening, so we'll need to get back to the puzzle soon." Yugi nodded, and together the three walked back to the game shop, with Yugi chattering on aimlessly, the Celtic Guardian nodding along to his words and holding his right hand, while the Dark Magician held his left and plotted about his next way to see his cute, beloved master, preferably without interference from any other cards.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Hey guys! Here's the last chapter! Hope you all like it, and sorry for the wait!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh

* * *

It had been a month, one long, seemingly endless month since the Dark Magician had been able to see his beloved Master for longer than a few minutes during a duel. He was growing impatient, tired of not being able to be near the boy, but finally, finally he'd gotten a way to spend an entire, hopefully uninterrupted, day with Yugi. It had taken hours of pouring over all the texts he could find in Yami's mind, hours of obsessive calculations and ideas, but he'd finally gotten it, finally created a way to form himself a human body for twenty four hours. He'd use it today, he decided, perhaps during a duel, so he could keep the fact that he'd done it purposefully hidden. He smirked a smirk usually reserved for Gaia and the Celtic Guardian, aiming it towards the solid stone roof, and wanted to laugh. He'd get the chance they would never have, today. He'd get the chance to have Yugi. He sighed happily, a true smile replacing the smirk, and lay back with closed eyes. Soon, soon, so very soon.

About twenty minutes later he felt it, the rough twitching pull deep in his belly, tight around his heart, which told him he was being summoned to battle, and released his breath. When he breathed in again, the air was far different from the musty, old stuff that filled Yami's Soul Room, and he looked around. He was on a holographic dueling station, he noted, one of Kaiba's, and he sighed. Of course. In front of him stood a Blue Eyes, tall and imposing, but he felt no fear. He was a Magician, the natural bane of dragons, and once his spell was cast… well, there'd be next to no way for the beast to harm him. He heard Yugi command him into defense mode, and he obeyed, though as he did it the words of the spell he'd learned fell softly from his lips. A tingle ran over him, the gentle caress of magic he'd grown used to in his long life, and he felt the strength rush through his body, the strength of humanity. He heard the quiet clicking behind him that indicated his life points rising and smirked. His magic flowed wildly under his skin, like it had when he'd been called Mahado, and he smiled at Kaiba's shock.

"What have you done?" the brunette boy asked, and Yugi blinked his wide eyes in shock. "I didn't do anything! Dark Magician, what's happened?" Yugi asked frantically, wringing his hands. Any trace of Yami that had escaped him was now shoved deeply inside him.

"I am unsure, Master. It appears I've become… human again, or something similar. Will the fight be continuing?" Kaiba glared.

"No. This… whatever this is, has given Yugi an unfair advantage. The match will be completed once we are once again on even footing. Remove your cards from the field." Yugi called them back, and all but the Dark Magician returned to his deck. Kaiba then did the same to his own cards, and Dark Magician stepped from the playing field as the two teens stepped down from their podiums.

"Master? What would you like me to do?" the mage asked the boy, bowing gently.

"I… uh… I guess you're staying with me, for a while, until we can figure out what happened. Is that okay with you?" Yugi asked him with a small smile as the two left Kaiba Corps.

"Of course! I have no problem spending time with my Master, you know. It's quite the pleasure, and one I don't often have."

"Oh. So, you want to spend more time with me?"

"Why would I not? You are my beloved Master, Yugi. Come, can we do something… human, together? Yami and I used to play games together very often." Yugi nodded rapidly, his hair flopping cutely around his face.

"Okay! Let's go to a movie, alright?"

"Yes, that sounds fun," the magician said, a real grin pulling at his lips that only grew when Yugi grabbed his hand. He looked around curiously as they walked down the street, amazed at the sight of so many people. Egypt had been crowded, of course, when he'd been there as a human, but this… this was something entirely different. People in suits, in dresses, in jeans, all with goals set bright in their eyes. It was a bit strange, a bit hard to take in, but it was something he could get used to. He did not, however, appreciate all the stares directed towards him, and while he understood he probably looked strange in his robe and hat, staring was impolite. Yugi smiled at him sweetly as they reached the movie theatre, and he stared excitedly at all the posters on the outer walls of the building. He'd never been to a movie before, and going to see one with his dearest Master would certainly become one of his most cherished memories!

"What do you think looks good, Dark Magician?"

"Call me Mahado, please, Master. And that one looks good," he said, pointing at a poster with a tall man in the center, flames roiling behind him. Yugi grinned.

"Yeah! I wanted to see it a few weeks ago, but Joey wouldn't go with me! And I'll only call you Mahado if you call me Yugi," the boy insisted, a smile bright and cheerful on his face. The dark mage laughed, and nodded as they went up to the ticket counter.

"Of course, Yugi."

"Good cosplay," the guy at the booth said, his eyebrow up as he took Yugi's money and handed him two slips of paper. The mage cocked his head, and his hat tilted as his hair fell in front of his face a little. Yugi stood on his tip toes to fix it almost subconsciously, and the magician smiled, a pale pink flush, hardly noticeable, appearing on the highest part of his cheeks and fading in seconds.

"Thank you," he said as he walked into the theatre, but neither Yugi nor the man at the ticket booth knew who he was talking to. They grabbed popcorn, and Yugi insisted on getting the Dark Magician countless types of candies as the woman behind that counter giggled and blushed. She was mumbling about how cute the two of them were as soon as they were out of earshot and walking into theatre three, where their movie was playing.

They sat together in the very front, Yugi's short legs swinging excitedly in the seat, and a happy, toothy smile appeared on his face as the lights dimmed and the movie started. The Dark Magician found himself unable to pay much attention to the movie, instead engrossed in how the flickering lights played in his Master's skin, on his hair, enhanced the curve of his lips and the roundness of his cheeks. The fire on the screen reflected in his amethyst eyes and made them dance, and the Dark Magician couldn't even really help but to wrap his arms around the boy's shoulders and pull him as close as he could with the armrest between them. Yugi giggled a little and curled in closer, still smiling. He also, of course, couldn't help but run his fingers through Yugi's hair, couldn't help but enjoy the content sigh that slipped from his mouth. And when Yugi looked up at him to question whether or not he was enjoying the movie, well, who could possibly resist kissing the full, rosy red lips?

Yugi squeaked, a little, but then his wide eyes slid closed, and he returned the kiss, perfectly innocent, and the Dark Magician pulled away.

"Yugi," he whispered, a hand gentle on the boy's cheek. Yugi laughed a tiny laugh, one that was scarcely heard over the film that had rapidly turned into background noise.

"Mahado, you've always been my favorite card, and the more I've seen you, lately, the more I've wanted you to be my friend. And then more. I like you, Mahado," he said, quiet as he could, eyes downcast, and the magician, placed a finger gently under his chin and lifted his head.

"I love you, Yugi. Always and forever. I've never felt this way before, not even when I was human," he said, his voice low, cracking. Yugi lunged up and kissed him as an explosion sounded from the movie. And then he stopped, went back to the film, and the Dark Magician felt almost like crying, though he was quick to grab Yugi's hand and drag him away as soon as the credits started rolling.

They ran to the Game Shop together, laughing like children, and tumbled through the shop's glass door, landed in a heap on the ground. The smile on the magician's face made him look far younger than he was, than he had been in a long time, and made his eyes shimmer with a playful light that matched the one in Yugi's. Their hands threaded together, fingers pressing together softly, gently, childishly, yet more adult, more grown up than any other show of affection they could imagine. The Dark Magician kissed the boy, and his grandfather, who they hadn't noticed, gasped.

"Yugi!" The boy eeped.

"Grandpa?" he asked, and the magician looked up too, an annoyed glare fixed on his face. The older man's eyes went a little wide, and he put his hands on his hips.

"Dark Magician?" The mage smiled. "How are you out of your card?"

"A spell," he said, seeing no need to lie, not anymore. "I wanted to see Yugi. It'll only last the day. I love him. Is it not natural to wish to see the ones you love?" The old man sighed.

"I can't say I approve," he mumbled, "But I can't say I disapprove either. I'll let you try, but please, not in the main room of the store!" Yugi flushed bright pink, and the mage was tinted that shade too, for a few seconds, as he stood and dragged Yugi to his feet, pulled him up to his room, but upon opening the door, he was greeted by an unwelcome sight: Joey, the Celtic Guardian, and Gaia the Fierce Knight. The Dark Magician's eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms tightly. An unbidden growl even slipped from his lips, and Yugi looked up at him curiously.

"Joey? Why didn't grandpa tell me you were here?" Joey shrugged.

"Probably doesn't know, Yug. He was asleep when I came in. Sorry I'm summoning your cards, and all, but I was curious. I like 'dese two," he said, smiling, and Yugi did too.

"It's alright, as long as you don't break them. Uh, this is the Dark Magician, Mahado, by the way. He said he cast a spell, so he's human for the day." Joey smiled and greeted him, while the other two cards, who stood on the holographic playing field Joey had called up, glared at him, sneered, their attacks summoned in their hands. The mage summoned his own, and Yugi's eyes went wide as they started to attack one another. A blast of dark magic slammed into Gaia's chest and sent him sprawling, as a burst of wind sent the magician back a few feet, allowed for the slash of a sword. They were readying their attacks again, when Yugi screamed, "Stop!" The attacks faded before Joey's shocked eyes.

"Yugi?" the three cards asked simultaneously, confused.

"Why are you fighting?" he asked, small fists clenched tightly at his side.

"What?" the Celtic Guardian laughed, "It's our job to fight, and he's pissing me off, with his tricky spells. He's trying to steal you," the card hissed, and Gaia nodded.

"We are meant to share you. You are ours, as we are yours. He is monopolizing you," the card growled, finger pointed at the Dark Magician.

"No he isn't!" Yugi yelled, and the Dark Magician smirked, wrapped his arm around Yugi's shoulders. "You guys… you're on the same side! You shouldn't fight."

"It's unfair," the Guardian said, "We're your protectors too, but he's the favorite, always him. Why don't you care about us too?"

"I do!" Yugi said, "But Mahado is special. You both are special too, but special in different ways!"

"You only feel this way because he was once human," Gaia hissed, eyes bright through his helmet.

"We never were. He says we can't understand feelings the same way he does, but we do. We love you too," stated the Celtic Guardian. Joey continued to look on, shock and awe painted over his face.

"Yug? You wanna tell me what's happening?" he asked, and Yugi shrugged.

"I… I'm not sure, Joey. I've gotten a bit closer with Mahado. We're, um, I guess together? Maybe?" Mahado kissed him again, then looked at the other two cards, feeling perhaps a little spiteful.

"We are together," he said, happily, and Celtic guardian's hand tensed around his sword while Gaia readied his lance. Yugi pouted.

"But I care about all of my cards, not just Mahado! I will admit that Mahado's different, since he's been my friend ever since I started playing Duel Monsters, before I even put the Puzzle together."

"He doesn't deserve to be special," hissed Gaia, for once allowing his anger to break through his deeply trained Knight's Code.

"He never has," Celtic Guardian added, and the Dark Magician tensed his fingers around Yugi's lips. His beloved Master… he'd only just learned his love was returned! These two would ruin it! He couldn't… there was no way he could deal with that, not really, not even if Atem attempted comfort. His heart ached, and he wondered why love had to cause such worry, such fear, such pain. His stomach clenched up, and he felt sick. He couldn't fight them, though, couldn't shut them up, because then Yugi would be sad.

"If he doesn't, then you two don't either," Yugi said, and his wide eyes went narrow, his hands settled on his thin hips. "I've told you that you're both special too, haven't I? And that Mahado is just special in a different way? I love you all equally, whether it seems that way or not! It's just a different type of love, that I show with Mahado! You two… you two have the sort of love I'd give a friend, the kind that Joey has."

"What if we want something else?" Celtic Guardian said, his eyes turned down and to the left.

"Then you won't get it. I'm offering what I can, and not anything else!" His voice was hard, forceful, and immovable as a brick wall. It wasn't often that he showed his strength, but when he did, it was an obvious sort of thing, one that was impossible to ignore. "How about this, though: you two can be my number one protectors, okay? If Mahado ever messes up, I'll let you two at him," he cocked his head, grinned at all of them. Joey laughed, and the other two cards sighed, and gave sad smiles.

"That'll have to be enough." Gaia said.

"And look out, if you ever do screw up, you glorified birthday party hack, because I'll swoop in," Celtic Guardian said, smirking. Joey turned off the portable dueling device, and the two faded back into their cards. The Dark Magician felt his heart leaping with joy. Yugi had chosen him! Yugi had accepted him, over his other cards! His beloved Master! He tightened his arms, and twirled the small body around. Yugi laughed, and returned the hug, as Joey stood and crept towards the door.

"I'll leave you guys alone for a little. See ya later, Yug, and take care of him, Dark Magician. If ya don't, it's not just Yug's other cards you'll have ta look out for," the blonde said, his heavy Brooklyn accent growing a little heavier in his seriousness. The mage nodded back seriously.

"I would expect no less from you, Joey." The other boy smiled a little, and left. The magician and Yugi laughed, and Yugi pecked his card's cheek.

"I wish it was for more than a day, Mahado." The card smiled, but now it was sad.

"I do as well, Yugi." They sat in silence for a few minutes, until the faded, ghostlike image of Yami appeared beside them.

"Do you really wish that, my host?" he asked, softly.

"Of course I do!" Yugi said, and Yami nodded, changing slightly. His skin grew tan, and his height increased a bit more, while his hair grew, and earrings now hung heavily in his ears. The copy of Yugi's uniform he normally wore changed to a crisp white tunic, and finally, his eyes faded to a bright gold.

"Atem," the mage said, respectful, in awe, and Yugi stared too.

"Mahado, you have served me well these past millennia, but now your service is no longer needed. I release you, back to your human form. Your strength is no longer mine," Atem said, his voice authoritative, deep and strong. The Dark Magician, now totally Mahado once again, gave a small, grateful smile.

"My Pharaoh, there is nothing I could do to properly thank you for this gift."

"Your service over these years is thanks enough, and your service to my host will merely raise my own gratitude towards you." Mahado's hand ran softly through Yugi's hair, and Atem faded back to Yami. "Can you both stop your pathetic mooning now?" The room went up in laughter as the tension melted, and Yugi and Mahado shared yet another sweet kiss, although this time it had the added accompaniment of Yami gagging in the background.


End file.
